Re: [OPE-L] Query to John Holloway: What's your position on theBolivarianrevolution?

[John Holloway <johnholloway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Perplexed,

    I too was surprised when you said that the RCP agreed with my approach,
but pleased to hear it. This does not mean that I agree with their approach.
Similarly, I am pleased when I hear that Catholic groups agree with my
approach, but that does not mean that I believe in God.

    On Venezuela: of course I support very much the revolt (or revolts) in
that country. There is a long tradition of struggle and it was this struggle
that led to the election of Hugo Chávez. The interesting question is how to
understand the relation between the Chávez government and this struggle. I
assume that it is a very complex and contradictory relation, and it is one
that I would like to understand better.

    To reduce this complexity to a choice between the "Bolivarian
revolution" (a term which which defines the struggles in terms of the state)
and Modragon/Owenite experiments is absurd. Similarly, to use the experience
in Venezuela to criticise the Zapatista movement (as Tariq Ali does in a
much-circulated interview) is dangerous in the current situation.

    John





> John,
> 
> Please refer to the article Jerry posted
> 
>   http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=41&ItemID=7610
> 
> which mentions Venezuela extensively as a counter-example of your
> position.  I wonder what line you take in defensive of your own position.
> 
> Could it be that the Bolivarian revolution is worthless and/or
> meaningless for you?  Perhaps you only like Mondragon/Owenite-
> like experiments?  Perhaps not even those?
> 
> I was also surprised that you were pleased that the Revolutionary
> Communist Party - USA shares with you a focus on youth releasing rage.
> After all, the RCP-USA supports Shining Path, does it not?
> 
> Perplexed, Paul Z.
> 
> *************************************************************************
> Vol.21-Neoliberalism in Crisis, Accumulation, and Rosa Luxemburg's Legacy
> RESEARCH IN POLITICAL ECONOMY, Zarembka/Soederberg, eds, Elsevier Science
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